Paper feeding in a folder

ABSTRACT

Folders in a web-fed rotary printing press are associated with two spaced horizontal planes. Each of these planes is provided with a superstructure carriage that supports a plurality of turning bars. Each of the superstructure carriages can be displaced horizontally with respect to the other carriage and with respect to the folders.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a paper web feeding device for afolding mechanism of a web-fed rotary printing press. A plurality ofpartial paper webs are combined into one or more partial paper webstrands.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

From DE 38 11 909 A1 it is known, in connection with paper web feedingdevices, for a folding mechanism to employ a superstructure, whichconsists of traction, register and guide rollers, as well as of turningbars, with a longitudinal folding unit for so-called “funnelproduction”, as well as for so-called “magazine production”. A multitudeof longitudinally cut partial paper webs which, in the end, enter thetransverse folding unit of the folding mechanism for folding, resultsfrom the wide paper webs, which are printed, in particular, inrotogravure printing. To this end, a multitude of traction, register andguide rollers, as well as turning bars, which are arranged above eachother in the superstructure, is required, this leads to a greatstructural height of the web-fed rotary printing press.

DE 44 39 615 A1 describes a paper feeding device for folding mechanismsof a web-fed rotary printing press. In this device, superstructurecarriages are provided in two spaced apart planes and one of thesuperstructure carriages is displaceable.

DE-OS 19 19 695 shows displaceable folding mechanisms.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is based on the object of providing a device forfeeding a plurality of partial paper webs, longitudinally cut from aparticularly wide paper web, to one or two folding mechanisms of aweb-fed rotary printing press.

In accordance with the invention, this object is attained by providing asuperstructure carriage assembly having two separate superstructurecarriages arranged on two spaced planes. At least one of thesuperstructure carriages is displaceable on its assigned plane. Each ofthe superstructure carriages has a plurality of turning bars.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be explained in greater detail by means of ana preferred embodiment. The associated drawings show in:

FIG. 1, a schematic representation of a paper web feeding device forfolding mechanisms in connection with a magazine production.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A printed paper web, having a width corresponding to the width b of aprinting cylinder of, for example, 3.6 to 4 m, enters a longitudinalcutting unit, not represented, from print units, not represented, of aweb-fed rotary printing press, for example rotogravure print unitsarranged between lateral frames 1, 2. In the longitudinal cutting unit,the very wide paper web is longitudinally cut into, for example, twelvepartial paper webs 4 to 15 of equal width. The partial paper webs 4 to15 are conducted to a first, upper superstructure carriage A, connectedwith the lateral frames 1, 2, as well as to a second, lowersuperstructure carriage B. Partial paper web guide groups A4 to A9 arearranged in the upper superstructure carriage A, partial paper web guidegroups B10 to B15 are arranged in the lower superstructure carriage B.The partial paper web guide groups A4 to A9 and B10 to B10 are arrangedabove each other for guiding and diverting the partial paper webs 4 to15. Each one of the partial paper web guide groups A4 to A9, as well asB10 to B15 have one of the turning bars 24 to 35, one of the registerrollers 39 to 50, as well as one of the traction rollers 54 to 65.

The superstructure carriages A and B are embodied as three-dimensionallyextending carriages or cars in a web construction. They can behorizontally moved back and forth along two horizontal planes locatedone below the other transversely to the direction of travel of the uncutweb. They can also be moved in or against the direction of running ofthe uncut, i.e. not longitudinally cut paper web, and can be arrested ineither left and right, or front or rear end positions. It is possible,by means of this, to feed the first partial paper web strand 67,constituted by the partial paper webs 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 inside thesuperstructure carriage A, and the second partial paper web strand 68,constituted by the partial paper webs 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 insidethe superstructure carriage B, to a left folding mechanism 94 arrangedunderneath the lower superstructure carriage B, and/or to a rightfolding mechanism 95, arranged next to the left folding mechanism 94,the partial paper web streams can also be fed by diverting rollers, to afront or rear “half-wide” folding mechanism 95, or respectively to a“multi-width”, for example a “double-width” folding mechanism.

Paper entry into the folding mechanisms 94, 95 takes place by userespective pairs of traction rollers 74, 76, 79 which are, known per se.

The upper superstructure carriage A is displaceable, guided and held inplace, for example, on two upper horizontal supports 36, these supportare fixed in place on the folding mechanism. The upper superstructurecarriage A is guided by means of dovetailed guides is displaceable by atleast one half the maximally possible paper web width calculated by½×printing cylinder barrel length, and cable fixed in place.

The lower superstructure carriage B is displaceable, guided and held inplace on two lower horizontal supports 37, these supports 37 are fixedin place on the folding mechanism. The upper superstructure carriage Ais guided by means of dovetailed guides is displaceable by at least onehalf maximally possible paper web width calculated by ½×printingcylinder barrel length, and cable fixed in place.

The turning bars 24 to 35 are each displaceable within the carriages Aand B in a known manner, preferably by an amount which at leastcorresponds to half the maximum paper web width.

By means of the arrangement of the two superstructure carriages A and B,which can be horizontally displaced transversely in respect to therunning direction of the not longitudinally cut paper web, and of theturning bars 24 to 35, which are displaceable in the direction of andtransversely to the running direction of the not longitudinally cutpaper web, and of the register rollers 39 to 50, which are displaceablein the direction of and opposite to the running direction of thediverted partial paper webs, it is possible to employ so-called“single-width”, but also so-called “multi-width”, for example“double-width”folding mechanisms. This means that the lengths of thefolding cylinders are matched to the width of the signatures created ina single stream. This is in contrast to folding mechanisms, wherein thelength of the folding cylinders is matched to two streams of signaturescreated next to each other.

The superstructure carriages A and B can be displaced in such a waythat, for example, the partial paper webs 4 to 9, combined into a firstpartial paper web strand 67, can be fed, depending on the position ofthe carriage A, selectively to the left folding mechanism 94 (foldingmechanism FA-A) or the right folding mechanism 95 (folding mechanismFA-B). It is furthermore possible that the partial paper webs 10 to 15of the superstructure carriage B, combined into a second partial paperweb strand 68, can be fed, depending on the position of thesuperstructure carriage B, selectively to the right folding mechanism 95or the left folding mechanism 94.

In the first configuration, in their left end position, thesuperstructure carriages A and B are located below each other on theleft, so that the left partial paper web strand 67 enters the leftfolding mechanism 94 via the left traction rollers 74, and the rightpartial paper web strand 68 enters the left folding mechanism 94 via theright traction rollers 76 of the left folding mechanism (foldingmechanism FA-A). In this case, the turning bars 24 to 29 are in theirleft position.

In the second configuration, the upper superstructure carriage A and thelower superstructure carriage B can be moved into their right endposition on top of each other and arrested in place.

The turning bars 24 to 35 are in their left end position, so that theleft partial paper web strand 67 from the superstructure carriage Aenters the right folding mechanism 95 (folding mechanism FA-B) via theleft traction rollers 76, and the right partial paper web strand 68 viathe right traction rollers 74.

In a third configuration of the superstructure carriages A and B as seenin FIG. 1, the upper superstructure carriage A has been moved andarrested into its extreme left position, the lower superstructurecarriage B into its extreme right position. Its turning bars 30 to 35 ofthe lower superstructure carriage B are offset in a “stair-step-like”manner, namely rising in the direction toward the imagined center of theuncut paper web.

As already mentioned, the upper superstructure carriage A is in itsextreme left position. Its turning bars 24 to 29 are offset in a“stair-step-like” manner falling in the direction toward the imaginedcenter of the uncut paper web. The centers of all turning bars 30 to 35,24 to 29 are located on an inclined straight line (rising from theleft). The right to the upper superstructure carriage A feeds the leftfolding mechanism 94 (folding mechanism FA-A), the lower superstructurecarriage B feeds the right folding mechanism 95 (folding mechanismFA-B).

However, still another configuration of the superstructure carriages Aand B in relation to each other is possible. In this fourthconfiguration the upper superstructure carriage A is in its right endposition, and the lower superstructure carriage B is in its left endposition. The turning bars 30 to 35, 24 to 29 are accordingly arrangedto rise in a “stair-step-like” manner from the left to the right.

“Single-width” folding mechanisms are understood to be foldingmechanisms, whose width is laid out to the width of several, for exampletwo, partial paper webs 4 to 15 running next to each other, orrespectively partial paper web strands 67, 68 running next to each otherand made of partial paper webs 4 to 15.

Therefore several “single-width” or “multi-width”, for example“double-width” folding mechanisms can be arranged next to each otherbelow the lowermost superstructure carriage B shown in FIG. 1. It isalso possible to arrange several “single-width” folding mechanisms—forexample two—behind each other several times—for example twice—. Four“single-width” folding mechanisms therefore result from this.

A mixture of “single-width” and “multiple-width”, for example“double-width”, folding mechanisms would also be possible.

It would also be possible to feed partial paper webs, longitudinally cutfrom several paper webs, to the paper web feeding device.

Driven traction rollers 74, 75 can also be provided for each partialpaper web 67, 68.

An exchange of folding mechanisms would also be possible so that,corresponding to the required production, special folding mechanismscould be introduced and removed. All folding mechanisms can be equippedwith frequency-controlled individual drives.

The levels C, D, on which the superstructure carriages A, B can bedisplaced, can be inclined upwardly or downwardly (V-shaped orroof-shaped) from a plane which intersects them, to the left or theright of the latter. This would be possible in case the superstructurecarriages A, B would only be movable horizontally in, and opposite tothe running direction of the paper web.

While a preferred embodiment of a paper web feeder in accordance withthe present invention has been set forth fully and completelyhereinabove, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art that anumber of changes in, for example the type of printing press used, theoverall width of the paper web and the like could be made withoutdeparting from the true spirit and scope of the present invention whichis accordingly to be limited only by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A paper web feeding device which is useable tofeed a plurality of partial paper webs that have been cut longitudinallyfrom paper webs to a number of folding mechanisms in a web-fed rotaryprinting press, said paper web feeding device comprising: a firstsuperstructure carriage supported for movement on a first plane in afirst direction transverse to a production direction of the paper websin the web-fed rotary printing press; a plurality of first turning barson said first superstructure carriage, said plurality of first turningbars diverting a first group of said plurality of partial paper webstransversely to said production direction and combining said first groupof said plurality of partial paper webs into a first partial paper webstrand; a second superstructure carriage supported for movement on asecond plane, different from said first plane, in said first directiontransverse to said production direction of the paper webs in the web-fedrotary printing press; and a plurality of second turning bars on saidsecond superstructure carriage, said plurality of second turning barsdiverting a second group of said partial paper webs transversely to saidproduction direction and combining said second group of said pluralityof partial paper webs into a second partial paper web strand.
 2. Thepaper web feeding device of claim 1 wherein at least one of said firstand second superstructure carriages is displaceable transversely to theproduction direction of the paper webs.
 3. The paper web feeding deviceof claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second superstructurecarriages is displaceable in the production direction of the paper webs.4. The paper web feeding device of claim 1 wherein at least one of saidfirst and second superstructure carriages is displaceable transverselyto, and in the production direction of the paper webs.
 5. The paper webfeeding device of clam 1 further including a plurality of firstadjustable longitudinal register devices on said first superstructurecarriage and a plurality of second adjustable longitudinal registerdevices on said second superstructure carriage said plurality of firstand second longitudinal register devices being equal in number to saidplurality of first and second turning bars.
 6. The paper web feedingdevice of claim 1 wherein said first and second superstructure carriagesare positionable one on top of another.
 7. The paper web feeding deviceof claim 1 further including a selectable folding mechanism assigned toeach of said first and second superstructure carriages.
 8. The paper webfeeding device of claim 7 wherein each said selectable folding mechanismis a “single-width” folding mechanism.
 9. The paper web feeding deviceof claim 7 wherein each said selectable folding mechanism is a“double-width” folding mechanism.
 10. The paper web feeding device ofclaim 1 further including a traction device associated with each saidturning bar.